i'm not bad at them but there is room for improvement. Can you guys give me any tips on how to make my slices and lobs more efficient and consistant?

Funny enough, these were the first two shots I learned when playing tennis. This might be because I started with my friends in the park when I was 11 or 12 and they sucked worse than I did! Only ever hit with slice, and lobbed the tar outta my friends who couldn't hit a smash to save their lives (not that I was any better, but they didn't exploit it!)

Anyway, for lobs my tip is topspin. Lots of it. You can loft the ball up really high and it will still come down inside the baseline given enough top! Also, I like to occasionally hit a lob in a baseline exchange to break things up. Many people dislike the change of pace and spin.

The same changeup motif holds true for slice. The tips of high to low swing and leaning into the ball are very good. Use slice on approaches, it makes it much tougher for your opponent. Personally, from the baseline only I aim for the top of the tape when slicing, as the ball falls far less sharply than topspin or flat shots, and the open face of the racquet makes the ball go higher than where I aim it. Very rarely do I dump a slice into the net this way; usually it goes nice and deep. This may not work for you.

Practise and see!

01-15-2007 05:36 PM

tennisplayer89

Re: tips for slices and lobs?

On the slice make sure to swing through it all the way on the backhand side and keep the ball low and deep. Slices also make great down the line approach shots because a slice will curve off the court making your opponent's next shot tougher. Lobs are good when you are on the dead run and have nothing else you can do. It will give you time to recover for the next shot. If there is any wind make sure to account for that on the lob because wind can greatly affect your lob. There may be a few things I didn't cover, but I think I listed a few good tips.

12-03-2006 10:02 AM

stebs

Re: tips for slices and lobs?

One tip for a lob, assuming you are not at a super high level, always go over the left hand shoulder of a righty and vice-versa. A backhand smash is infinately tougher than a regular smash for 99% fo players. Even if you don't get the lob perfect your opponent may well miss and is very unlikely to hit a clean winner unless they are an expert at that shot.

12-01-2006 01:52 PM

Angle Queen

Re: tips for slices and lobs?

#1 Practice, practice, practice.
#2 Realize that shot selection is as important as shot execution.
#3 Recognize that neither of those shots has to be perfect to be effective.

Now for some real tips (I hope):

On the slice, take your time, be patient with making/approaching the shot (unless you're doing it from a defensive stand-point...at which point, you'll probably do it out of luck/happenstance). Taking a deep breath as I strike the ball seems to help. I also try to "lean" or "lead" into the shot with my shoulder, rather than trying to develop power/depth from my knees/legs.

Then, of course, there are the obvious ones: work the stroke high-to-low and keep your eye on the ball all the way to the racket. Doesn't have to be extreme high to extreme low but try to let your body mechanics effect the shot rather than trying to do it with just you arm or wrist (is that even possible for slice?). The harder the ball is coming at you, the less high-to-low you need to be. Use their power against them.

Now on the lob, unless you have a really tall opponent or one with a potent AND consistent overhead...you shouldn't be afraid to use this shot more often. Start with trying to hit them flat (then add a topspin component) and focus on getting the ball to drop at least as far back as the service line although I believe it's better to err on the "long" side rather than the short. Opponents will often make flinging/flaying attempts at it (especially if they're have to run back for it) and if it does fall out...you've made them run for it...and perhaps can capitalize on their poor fitness on the next point.

Ooops: forgot to add: Be sure to practice your lob during the warm-up period. It'll let you "dial in" the range, so to speak...and let your opponent know it's a component of your game. I find it particularly useful, if not necessarily "nice" to throw one in when they're at the net...expecting a shot to volley. Gives me a chance to see how they react (footwork...and an unexpected OH).

Good luck...and for trying to improve some underrated and underused shots (IMHO ).

11-29-2006 12:06 PM

nchoudhary01

tips for slices and lobs?

i'm not bad at them but there is room for improvement. Can you guys give me any tips on how to make my slices and lobs more efficient and consistant?